(TibetanReview.net, Jun10, 2015) – The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), which campaigns for regaining Tibet’s independence from Chinese occupation rule, has on Jun 9 announced an annual scholarship for Tibetans living in India, Nepal and Bhutan to mark the 80th birthday of Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

The scholarship, to be called the “Dalai Lama Kadrin Jeden Scholarship”, will be presented to the student who scores the highest mark in Tibetan language in the Class XII board exams.

The largest grassroots Tibetan organization hopes the scholarship, which is worth Indian Rs 20,000, will “encourage and create greater interest amongst the youth to learn, speak and write in Tibetan”. The first scholarship will be presented at a function on the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday on Jul 6.

TYC is also making a long-life offering to the Dalai Lama at Dharamshala on Jul 31.

Founded in 1970, TYC says it currently has 88 regional chapters and a total membership of 35,000.